Tips For Getting Your Music Into TV and Film

We’ve all thought we had that one “hit song” that would sound perfect playing during the opening credits of a hot new TV show or in the new summer Blockbuster. We have some tips to help break your music into the TV and Film industry.

Yes, we are out of high school, but we still need to do our homework. Start looking into projects that are in need of the style of music that you already create. It will make it that much easier on you if you’re not pretending to be someone that you’re not. If your specialty is writing love songs, maybe going after a show like the meth cooking “Breaking Bad” isn’t the direction you should be going. Know your audience.

There are several places that you can check out new projects that are going into or still in production. Reverbnation, The Hollywood Reporter, Taxi and your own royalty partners BMI or ASCAP all offer opportunities. (That’s just to name a few)

Here is a good tip for you to take notes on. Don’t just send your music to anyone working on the project. The music supervisor is the person that you want to follow around like a lost puppy. Figuratively speaking. You don’t want to get brought up on stalking charges. The music supervisor are in charge of what music gets used in film and TV. They’re also in charge of negotiating the terms of that usage between the copyright holder and the studios. These people manage lists of all the specific scenes in various shows or film projects that still need music to support the intended emotion of what’s happening on screen.

The opening and ending credits aren’t on the screen just to fill up space. Use that to your advantage. Take names. Use the internet to your advantage and look up ways to contact these people. An old fashion e-mail won’t cost you anything and the worst that happens is that you don’t get a reply. Don’t be afraid to reach out to anyone. Someone is bound to listen. Be professional. Make sure to send the song you think would be a perfect match in the best quality that you can get. Give them more than just a quick reply as a way to contact you back. Don’t be afraid to leave them phone numbers, addresses and even the name of your first unborn child.

If you want to get your music in TV and Movies, the biggest tips we can offer are to do your homework and to be persistent. You’ll be listening to yourself on the big screen in no time.